author
Frank B. (Frank Bunker) Gilbreth
1868–1924
A pioneer of time-and-motion study, this American engineer helped shape early ideas about workplace efficiency. His work with Lillian Gilbreth linked scientific management to everyday human habits, and his large family later inspired Cheaper by the Dozen.
1 Audiobook
Fatigue study : the elimination of humanity's greatest unnecessary waste. A first step in motion study
by Frank B. (Frank Bunker) Gilbreth, Lillian Moller Gilbreth
About the author
Born on July 7, 1868, in Fairfield, Maine, Frank Bunker Gilbreth became an engineer, management consultant, and author known for studying how work could be done more efficiently. He left school after high school, started out in construction, and developed a reputation for carefully analyzing tasks and improving the way they were performed.
Working closely with his wife, Lillian Gilbreth, he became one of the best-known early advocates of scientific management. Together they developed and promoted time-and-motion study, examining workers' movements in detail to reduce wasted effort and improve productivity. Their approach helped influence industrial engineering and the broader study of workplace organization.
Gilbreth died on June 14, 1924. Beyond his professional legacy, he is also remembered as the father in the family story that later became Cheaper by the Dozen, which introduced many readers to the lively household behind the famous efficiency studies.